gpgme/lang/python/docs/Short_History.org

#+TITLE: A Short History of the GPGME bindings for Python
#+LATEX_CLASS: article
#+LATEX_HEADER: \usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}

* Overview
  :PROPERTIES:
  :CUSTOM_ID: overview
  :END:

The GPGME Python bindings passed through many hands and numerous
phases before, after a fifteen year journey, coming full circle to
return to the source.  This is a short explanation of that journey.

** In the beginning
   :PROPERTIES:
   :CUSTOM_ID: in-the-begining
   :END:

   In 2002 John Goerzen released PyME; Python bindings for the GPGME
   module which utilised the current release of Python of the time
   (Python 2.2 or 2.3) and SWIG.  Shortly after creating it and
   ensuring it worked he stopped supporting it, though he left his
   work available on his Gopher site.

** Keeping the flame alive
   :PROPERTIES:
   :CUSTOM_ID: keeping-the-flame-alive
   :END:

   A couple of years later the project was picked up by Igor Belyi and
   actively developed and maintained by him from 2004 to 2008.  Igor's
   whereabouts at the time of this document's creation are unknown,
   but the current authors do hope he is well.  We're assuming (or
   hoping) that life did what life does and made continuing untenable.

** Passing the torch
   :PROPERTIES:
   :CUSTOM_ID: passing-the-torch
   :END:

   In 2014 Martin Albrecht wanted to patch a bug in the PyME code and
   discovered the absence of Igor.  Following a discussion on the PyME
   mailing list he became the new maintainer for PyME, releasing
   version 0.9.0 in May of that year.  He remains the maintainer of
   the original PyME release in Python 2.6 and 2.7 (available via
   PyPI).

** Coming full circle
   :PROPERTIES:
   :CUSTOM_ID: ouroboros 
   :END:

   In 2015 Ben McGinnes approached Martin about a Python 3 version,
   while investigating how complex a task this would be the task ended
   up being completed.  A subsequent discussion with Werner Koch led
   to the decision to fold the Python 3 port back into the original
   GPGME release in the languages subdirectory for non-C bindings
   under the module name of =pyme3=.

   In 2016 this PyME module was integrated back into the GPGME project
   by Justus Winter.  During the course of this work Justus adjusted
   the port to restore limited support for Python 2, but not as many
   minor point releases as the original PyME package supports.  During
   the course of this integration the package was renamed to more
   accurately reflect its status as a component of GPGME.  The =pyme3=
   module was renamed to =gpg= and adopted by the upstream GnuPG team.

   In 2017 Justus departed G10code and the GnuPG team.  Following this
   Ben returned to maintain of gpgme Python bindings and continue
   building them from that point.

* Relics of the past
  :PROPERTIES:
  :CUSTOM_ID: relics-past
  :END:

There are a few things, in addition to code specific factors, such as
SWIG itself, which are worth noting here.

** The Annoyances of Git
   :PROPERTIES:
   :CUSTOM_ID: the-annoyances-of-git
   :END:

   As anyone who has ever worked with git knows, submodules are
   horrible way to deal with pretty much anything.  In the interests
   of avoiding migraines, that was skipped with addition of the PyME
   code to GPGME.

   Instead the files were added to a subdirectory of the =lang/=
   directory, along with a copy of the entire git log up to that point
   as a separate file within the =lang/python/docs/= directory.[fn:1]
   As the log for PyME is nearly 100KB and the log for GPGME is
   approximately 1MB, this would cause considerable bloat, as well as
   some confusion, should the two be merged.

   Hence the unfortunate, but necessary, step to simply move the
   files.  A regular repository version has been maintained should it
   be possible to implement this better in the future.

** The Perils of PyPI
   :PROPERTIES:
   :CUSTOM_ID: the-perils-of-pypi
   :END:

   The early port of the Python 2 =pyme= module as =pyme3= was never
   added to PyPI while the focus remained on development and testing
   during 2015 and early 2016.  Later in 2016, however, when Justus
   completed his major integration work and subsequently renamed the
   module from =pyme3= to =gpg=, some prior releases were also
   provided through PyPI.

   Since these bindings require a matching release of the GPGME
   libraries in order to function, it was determined that there was
   little benefit in also providing a copy through PyPI since anyone
   obtaining the GPGME source code would obtain the Python bindings
   source code at the same time.  Whereas there was the potential to
   sew confusion amongst Python users installing the module from PyPI,
   only to discover that without the relevant C files, header files or
   SWIG compiled binaries, the Python module did them little good.

   There are only two files on PyPI which might turn up in a search
   for this module or a sample of its content:

   1. gpg (1.8.0) - Python bindings for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library
   2. pyme (0.9.0) - Python support for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library

*** GPG 1.8.0 - Python bindings for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library
    :PROPERTIES:
    :CUSTOM_ID: pypi-gpgme-180
    :END:

    This is the most recent version to reach PyPI and is the version
    of the official Pyhon bindings which shipped with GPGME 1.8.0.  If
    you have GPGME 1.8.0 installed and /only/ 1.8.0 installed, then it
    is probably safe to use this copy from PyPI.

    As there have been a lot of changes since the release of GPGME
    1.8.0, the GnuPG Project recommends not using this version of the
    module and instead installing the current version of GPGME along
    with the Python bindings included with that package.

*** PyME 0.9.0 - Python support for GPGME GnuPG cryptography library
    :PROPERTIES:
    :CUSTOM_ID: pypi-gpgme-90
    :END:

    This is the last release of the PyME bindings maintained by Martin
    Albrecht and is only compatible with Python 2, it will not work
    with Python 3.  This is the version of the software from which the
    port from Python 2 to Python 3 code was made in 2015.

    Users of the more recent Python bindings will recognise numerous
    points of similarity, but also significant differences.  It is
    likely that the more recent official bindings will feel "more
    pythonic."

    For those using Python 2, there is essentially no harm in using
    this module, but it may lack a number of more recent features
    added to GPGME.

* Footnotes

[fn:1] The entire PyME git log and other preceding VCS logs are
located in the =gpgme/lanf/python/docs/old-commits.log= file.